Electric storage cooker



July 16, 1935. o. w. HUMPHREYS El AL 2,003,551

ELECTRIC STORAGE COOKER Filed July 27, 1934 Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC STORAGE COOKER Olliver William Humphrcys, Kenton, and Charles William Stopford, Wemblcy,

England, as-

signors to The General Electric Company Limited, London, England Application July 27, 1934, Serial No. 737,176 In Great Britain August 8, 1933 1 Claim.

This invention relates to electric storage cookers, that is to say, cookers of the type in which the heat is stored in a block. The block may be either solid or a rigid container of fluid.

In cookers of this type known hitherto the block has been built into the cooker, so that it cannot be removed without pulling the cooker to pieces. As a consequence cookers have been difficult to transport, partly because the block itself is heavy and partly because the frame of the cooker has had to be very solid in order to withstand the strains imposed in it by the heavy block. One object of this invention is to remove these disadvantages. Another object is to provide a block which is adjustable.

According to the invention a storage cooker of the type specified comprises a block that can be moved relatively to the cooker without substantial disturbance of the remaining parts. The block may be connected to the remainder of the cooker so that it can be readily removed from the cooker.

The block is most readily removed by lifting it through the hob or by lowering it into the oven, which normally lies immediately below the block. For this purpose, means are preferably provided, forming part of or permanently affixed to the block, whereby the block may be supported while it is being moved during the process of removal. Such means may consist of a tapped hole in the upper surface of the block into which an eye-bolt, provided for the purpose, may be screwed. The electrical connections to the element heating the block are preferaby broken either by withdrawing the element from the block,

if the element is of the immersion type, or by disconnecting the leads at terminals at the back of the hob.

It is generally desirable that the surface of the block should be flush with the surface of the hob. In order that it may be adjusted to this position, the block when in position preferably rests on adjusting and levelling screws carried by the frame of the oven. With this arrangement there is likely to be a free space extending from the surface of the hob to the interior of the oven, through which liquid spilled on the hob may flow into the oven. In order to prevent such flow the block is preferably surrounded by an annular diaphragm of refractory flexible material, such as asbestos, blocking any passage from the surface of the hob to the interior of the oven.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows in section part of an electric storage cooker including the storage block.

As shown a sealing member 4, consisting of a square frame of asbestos, and a support 5 for the hob 6 are secured to the top 2 of the oven I by clamping strips 1 secured to the oven top 2; heat insulating strips 8 are arranged below the strips 1. A block carrier 9, consisting of a square steel frame, is supported by screws 3, which pass through the oven top 2, the sealing member 4, the support 5 and the strips 8 and screw into holes tapped in the strips 1.

The storage block I0 is of square cross-section and is surrounded by the support 5 and rests on the member 4, which in turn is supported by the carrier 9. The block I0 is provided in known manner with a heating element I l and is formed with a downwardly extending part l2, which serves to heat the interior of the oven. Holes l3 are tapped in the top surface of the block, into which eye bolts can be screwed to enable the block to be lifted out of the cooker.

For the purpose of transport the block can be readily removed by inserting eye bolts in the holes l3, inserting a bar through the eye bolts and lifting the block out of the cooker; there is no necessity to disturb any other part of the cooker. When the block is replaced in position it can be adjusted, so that the top surface of the block is flush with the surface of the hob, by means of the screws 3. These screws 3 screw into or out of the strips 1 and so raise and lower the block II] by raising or lowering the carrier 9. The sealing member 4, being flexible, bends to adjust itself to the new position of the block. The sealing member 4 prevents liquid, draining off the top surface of the block, from obtaining access to the interior of the oven; the support member 5 prevents the liquid reaching any other part of the interior of the cooker.

In a modified construction, the block is arranged in an open can suspended from four chains. The chains are attached to adjustable screws so that the block can be raised or lowered by means of the chains. A sealing member is not necessary in this case as liquid from the block can only drain into the can. The block can be removed simply by lifting it out of the can.

We claim:-

An electric storage cooker comprising a frame, a hob supported by the frame, said hob being formed with an opening, a storage block arranged within the frame below the opening in the hob, means for raising and lowering the block relatively to the hob, a layer of flexible refractory material surrounding the block and extending from the block to the hob, said layer forming a seal between the block and the hob, and an electric heating element in thermal contact with the block.

OLLIVER WILLIAM HUMPHREYS. CHARLES WILLIAM STOPFORD. 

